The Infiniti QX80 has the heritage of off-road prowess. This Limited model is going further up-market with ever more luxury. It’s wearing the obligatory 22-inch rims, but it does have relatively aggressive Bridgestone Dualer mud+snow tires. Can it make it up the top of Gold Mine Hill and what off-road rating will it get?
TFLtruck is starting a new off-road capability ranking system. We call it the “Snowflake” rating. The maximum rating any vehicle can get is 5 snowflakes. Each snowflake stands for an element that is important for off-roading: ground clearance, 4WD or AWD system traction, suspension performance, drivetrain performance, and tires.
Gold Mine Hill is a test for light off-roaders. It’s a steep, but relatively smooth and rocky trail with a sharp 90-degree turn in the middle of it. Then there is an even steeper section with uneven terrain to test approach angle, ground clearance, and traction.
The truck goes up to the 90-degree turn, stops, and gets going again around the turn. This is also a challenging test for the 4WD or AWD system.
Watch the full video and get the new “Snowflake” off-road rating at the end.
